With regards to the US dollars - I changed $200 in the airport with no problems, and then our fantastic local guide Naing, later in the tour, went to the bank for us in a local village and changed any more $ we needed. I used kyat the majority of the tour, and only paid in $ for a few things, including my bill at the beach hotel, and had no problems at all. I always get my currency from Marks & Spencer and always check that they are new or newish notes.

As the second group to Burma are now back - how did you enjoy it? I hope as much as we did.

Cheers,

Hils

PS Jonah - I have found that 100 kyat note you gave me (5p!) and almost had to use rubber gloves to pick it up!!

Going to wash my hands now!

I too agree with Jonah. When I go to Burma I hope Just You do not change anything at all or make any included excursions as optional. People should know that such tours are full on and if one wants a relaxing holiday, then there are plenty of options to do so. Also, everyone has an option to opt out of included excursions. The only way to see as much as possible is for the tour to be full on. Optional add-ons are really good and I am all for them.

Jaya

All I'm asking for as someone of working age is balance - tacking on empty days at the end as an add-on just doesn't work if you only have so many holiday days off work a year. Like I said, doing longer days than I would do at work is simply not a holiday to me as I end up going back to work more drained than when I left.

I think I've learnt my lesson on this one; don't go on brand new tours if you don't want to be a guinea pig.

Unfortunately I am not retired and work full time plus have to commute to London, which means nearly 3-4 hours extra travelling time. But since I like to see as much as I can whilst I am on a touring holiday I do not mind coming back more tired than when I left and also feeling as if I need another holiday to get over the one I have just returned from! The best thing for you to do is look at the itinerary carefully before you decide which holiday to go on. On some holidays you get more free time than the others so you need to choose one with great care. Also, believe me that brand new tours are more or less the same as the ones which have been going on for some time. Your other option is to opt out of some of the included excursions and some people do this. I am sure you were not a guinea pig! I also hope that this one trip has not put you off travelling with Just You.

Best wishes

Jaya

I was also on the Burma trip and returned a few days ago after the beach add on. It is full on and I expected that- new tour or not,touring is tiring. But since you don't have to take any responsibility for the planning/ organisation of the tour, I found the experience just fantastic. For me, and we are all different, it's my best holiday ever. After all , all the individual has to do is turn up at the appointed time, take photos and enjoy the food company and experience.

Burma is fascinating, the people warm and wecolming and Just You allows you see more and varied things than I imagined.

Pahill is correct when he says about the increase in ATMs. There were many more available along the way than I thought there would be. Maybe that indicates the rate/ growth of the tourist industry there. I am very pleased to have seen the country while it is still unspoiled.

My suggestion for those booked on this fabulous holiday is to read the advice of all those who have so far been mesmerised by it. All their comments are valid. The local tour guide Naine Naine( probably spelt incorrectly) is outstanding in his ability to explain, enthuse and is generally a great chap.

How I wish I was booked on the next trip!!

Hi Pahill

Unfortunately I am not retired and work full time plus have to commute to London, which means nearly 3-4 hours extra travelling time.  But since I like to see as much as I can whilst I am on a touring holiday I do not mind coming back more tired than when I left and also feeling as if I need another holiday to get over the one I have just returned from!  The best thing for you to do is look at the itinerary carefully before you decide which holiday to go on.  On some holidays you get more free time than the others so you need to choose one with great care.   Also, believe me that brand new tours are more or less the same as the ones which have been going on for some time.  Your other option is to opt out of some of the included excursions and some people do this.  I am sure you were not a guinea pig!  I also hope that this one trip has not put you off travelling with Just You.  

Best wishes

Jaya

Thanks for the feedback. You have said one thing that I find very disturbing - that new tours are more or less the same over time. This says to me that Just You don't listen to feedback and/or make changes to accommodate the majority opinion. If the next group that goes still get taken out into Yangon to see three sights having been up for 24 hours at that point, that will prove your point as not a single person on the tour enjoyed that first afternoon as a result - and I made a point of asking everyone as I variously sat with them over the tour what they thought of that scheduling.

This was my 13th JY holiday, so I am well used to their style and make-up. It was just the worst for free time as there wasn't any - at all. Every other tour I have done with JY gives you at least half a day with nothing planned to do, sometimes two half days. This tour needs something like that somewhere during its length.

Angie

Jools - I've had most vaccinations at this stage so the best advice I can give you is to talk to the nurse/doctor at your local practice.

Cheers,

Bob

A question from Bob re the Yangon sightseeing tour the day you arrive - the plane from KL arrived in Yangon at 11.15 in the morning, and we went on the tour of Yangon at 3pm. This will be subject to when your rooms will be ready in the hotel, and luckily ours were. Again, I wouldn't have missed this, and I'm pretty sure everyone on our tour went on this excursion, and I can't remember anyone complaining. In order to avoid jet-lag as much as possible, we were advised to try and stay awake until about 9pm (which is when I went to bed!). A tip I have found useful on long haul flights in particular, is to set your watch to the local time at your destination, as soon as you get on the plane at Heathrow/Gatwick etc. Seems to work for me!

Cheers,

Hils

I am so glad you enjoyed Burma as much as I did and that you got to meet the wonderful Naing.

Bob - just to warn you 6am is a lie on on this trip

I really enjoyed the whole trip, I think our first down time was at the hotel in Bagan when some of us lounged around the pool for a few hours.

It is just fantastic, don't get hung up too much on other people's experience. Just go and enjoy. My brain is still processing what we did and saw. The sunsets, the people- I felt like the queen waving and smiling at people, the monastery experiences and so much more. The beach add on was paradise ! The road journey is long but even that is an experience worth having. We stopped to eat at a little roadside cafe and ate a delicious meal .  We were quite a novelty there.

Enough said!

I agree with Jaya. The more we see and experience the better - you're a long time dead! Please JY do not tinker with the itinerary - especially the option for the cycle tour. Let us have the amazing trip experienced by the first tour.

Angie

The cycle tour was replaced with a cyclo tour instead on the second tour that run. Just three people wanted to do the cycle tour and the feedback from tour one was it's far too draining in the heat. By changing it to a cyclo tour (where you sit back and a local man does the peddling) the attendance went up to almost the whole group (about 27 out of 30 from memory). So I very much doubt the cycle tour will come back where you peddle yourself. It also meant the tour saw more as the local peddlers know how to negotiate the few main roads they crossed which would have been avoided if you were doing it yourself.

It seems like I am alone in wanting to have a balanced touring holiday so I'm just going to have to pick random days to completely opt out of seeing repeated things on future tours.

Those who have been, did you have to have any vaccinations, just reading recommended and has diphtheria, tetanus, Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid. ,??

Yep, I had all of those already - plus your Malaria tablets of choice. If they are not on the UK vaccine schedule that everyone should have, the jabs are chargeable. You can get diphtheria and tetanus boosters for free on the NHS if you need them. The only one I'm missing on the jabs front is Japanese Encephalitis that I'll be getting later this year before my holiday to North Korea next April (yes, I did mean North).

Hi I agree with what the others have said - I appreciate a full-on itinerary so we see the best of the destination.  I've decided I'm not going to do the cycling tour of Mandalay so that will be a free afternoon to take it easy.  Like Sarah (and most JY travellers I have to admit), I go to bed early and soon after dinner - this needs to be done as most days on these tours you have to leave at 8.00am, which means I have to get up at 6.00am!  On a couple of tours we've headed off sight-seeing straight off the plane - for example, when it's an early morning arrival and the hotel rooms wouldn't be ready and it hasn't been a big problem.  In this case, there's usually free time in the afternoon to freshen up once the rooms have been allocated so I presume it'd be a similar situation on the Burma tour?

Jools - I've had most vaccinations at this stage so the best advice I can give you is to talk to the nurse/doctor at your local practice.

Cheers,

Bob

About a quarter of the days are 4-5AM starts to get to internal flights, and no there was no time to freshen up on the first afternoon. That's what I mean. It was straight to the hotel, bags dropped off then out shortly after for the touring during the afternoon. Most people wanted a shower having been travelling for 24 hours, but because the bags took so long to get to the rooms, no one got one. Tip if you go - take your own bag to your room on the first day / hotel stay and don't wait for the bellboys to bring it up.

Thanks for the info, very helpful!  I almost always bring my own case to the room as I hate waiting for it to arrive so I will certainly continue to do so on this tour!  I do appreciate that for some older people this might not be an option.

Cheers,

Bob

I hate wasting time waiting for a porter to deliver it.

Also I agree please don't make these tours less full on. We have travelled so far and want to see as much as possible. I rest by going to bed after dinner , like lots of JY fellow travellers.

I avoid tours ( usually other companies ) that have lots of " afternoon at leisure " !

I agree - I've discounted various tours over the year as the itineraries have stated there would be too much free time.  I wouldn't go on an Escape holiday unless there were excursions available every day!  I don't mind perhaps one or two free slots on a long tour but for a one week trip any more than that is too much for me.  I do understand some people do like a more relaxing style of holiday but at this stage I want to see and do as much as possible while I can!!

Cheers,

Bob

Dave